They are often marketed as “cute” apartments—compact lofts that feel modern and comfortable. Yet the real motive behind some purchases is savings. Buyers look for the most reasonable price, and the price per square meter in small apartments is frequently higher than in larger units.
This trend is echoed by the Idealista portal, which notes that Alicante stands out among provincial capitals for its price dynamics. The gap widens in the smallest homes: units under 40 square meters in the city carry an average price of about 3,000 € per square meter, a figure well above what is typical in other categories.
For example, the cost per meter for flats between 40 and 60 square meters sits around 2,100 €; those between 60 and 75 square meters average roughly 1,200 € per meter (the most affordable category); while homes in the 75 to 90 square meter range are priced at about 1,225 € per meter.
As the size increases, prices rise again because these larger spaces are often considered higher-end. Flats between 90 and 120 square meters typically cost about 1,500 € per square meter; those from 120 to 150 square meters average 1,711 €; and units up to 180 square meters run around 1,875 € per meter. Homes exceeding 180 square meters can reach around 2,124 € per meter, though they never match the extreme cost levels seen in mini-apartments.
One possible explanation for the higher prices for tiny homes is their limited share in the overall market. Alicante remains one of the capitals with a relatively large supply of bigger homes. According to the portal cited above, up to 46% of currently available properties exceed 100 square meters, compared with 35% for the national average.
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Thus, only Albacete surpasses Alicante in the share of listings asking for more than 100 square meters, with 57% of ads in that category. Palma follows at 55%, then Lugo and Murcia (both 49%), Valencia and Pontevedra (both 48%), and Soria (47%).
In contrast, the smallest share appears in Oviedo (21%), with Huesca and Huelva at 23%, and Salamanca and Burgos at 27%. Madrid and Barcelona show above-average figures for larger homes, at 36% and 30% respectively.
On the other side of the spectrum, Madrid leads the market for compact properties. Only 6% of Madrid listings are under 40 square meters, followed by Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (5%), Tarragona, Barcelona, Toledo and Huesca (each at 3%). In twenty-two provincial centers, listings of such small sizes are not present at all.